Ankheg
Ankheg
An Ankheg resembles an enormous many-legged insect,its long antennae twitching in response to any movement around it.Its legs end in sharp hooks adapted for burrowing and grasping its prey,and its powerful mandibles can snap a small tree in half.
Lurkers in the Earth
The Ankheg uses its powerful mandibles to dig winding tunnels deep beneath the ground.When it hunts,an Ankheg burrows upward,waiting below the surface until its antennae detect movement from above.Then it bursts from the earth and seizes prey in its mandibles,crushing and grinding while it secretes acidic digestive enzymes.These enzymes help dissolve a victim for easy swallowing,but the Ankheg can also squirt acid to take down foes.
Bane of field and forest
Although Ankhegs receive a certain portion of their nutrients from the soil through which they burrow,they must supplement their diet with fresh meat.Pastures teeming with grazing livestock and forests rife with game are prime hunting grounds.Ankhegs are thus the bane of farmers and rangers everywhere.
Earthen Tunnels
As it burrows through earth,the Ankheg leaves a narrow,partially collasped tunnel in its wake.In these tunnels,one might find the remnants of molted Ankheg chitin,hatched Ankheg eggs,or grisly remains of past victims,including coins or other treasures scattered during the creature's attack.
Comments
Author's Notes
Original Article by Wizards of the Coast (WotC) for D&D Monster Manual 5e